Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is going to have nightmares about the Georgia pass rush.
No. 5 Georgia sacked Uiagalelei seven times on Saturday night on the way to a 10-3 win over No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte. The Tigers — who have been to the College Football Playoff in each of the past six seasons — couldn’t get anything going on offense as Georgia’s defensive front just overwhelmed the offensive line.
Georgia’s only touchdown came via the defense too. Safety Christopher Smith picked off Uiagalelei and ran the interception back for a 74-yard TD with less than three minutes to go before halftime.
Georgia added a field goal in the second half and then ran out the clock after stopping Clemson with five minutes to go. The Tigers went for it on 4th and 5 at the Georgia 45 but Uiagalelei was forced to rush a pass thanks to Georgia’s blitz. The pass fell incomplete and Georgia never gave the ball back to the Tigers as the Bulldogs ran out the clock.
Georgia’s defense also kept Clemson from running the ball. The Tigers were officially credited with 23 rushing attempts — sacks count as rushes in college football — for a grand total of two yards. The Tigers’ leading rusher was Lyn-J Dixon. He had a single carry for 10 yards.
The absence of Travis Etienne was evident. Will Shipley and Kobe Pace each had four carries while Uiagalelei had 14 official carries.